Stronger Than Blood
by Aviator39
Summary: AU/Plot twist for Thor! Valdis is the middle child of the Odinson family. When Loki finds out his true heritage, how far will she go to protect her brother from her father's wrath? This is the story of what I think would've happened if someone had been there for Loki. This a story of family, love, hardship, friendship and loyalty. Healthy relation ship between the siblings :)


**Author's Note: I don't know why I write these, it's not like anyone reads these things anyway. But, here's another story. I thank my lovely friend Eva for being my constant companion and inspiration to continue writing, as well as a gold mine of ideas. **

Disclaimer: Marvel owns the Avengers and Loki. Any recognizable quotes or characters or ideas are the property of their creators. I own nothing except the plot and my OC.

This story line, OC character and my pen name are copyrighted. Any attempt to use them is a violation of my copyright. **Aviator39****©2013-2014**

"So many vows… they make you swear and swear. Defend the king. Obey the king. Keep his secrets. Do his bidding. Your life for his. But obey your father. Love your sister. Protect the innocent. Defend the weak. Respect the gods. Obey the laws. It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or another."

Set just after Loki has discovered his true heritage. This is a different version of Thor, what would've happened if someone had interfered before Loki had snapped. This is a story of family, love, hardship, trust and loyalty.

…

Odin stormed into the side room, slamming the heavy gilded door behind him. Valdis followed closely, yanking open the door and locking it behind her. Odin whipped around angrily, but Valdis put up her hand before he could say a word.

"It won't work, you know." Odin froze in his tracks. "Your anger may frighten my brothers, but not me."

Odin laughed bitterly. "What has it all come to? Two sons that are fools, and a daughter who does not know her place."

Valdis' anger flared. "In fact," Odin continued. "One of them is not even my son. I don't know why I expected anything better from him!"

"You weren't there." Valdis said quietly.

"What?" Odin spat.

"You weren't there." She shouted. Before her father could say another word, Valdis snapped. "All this time, I have been watching over him. It has always been me. You gave up on him when he couldn't fight like the other boys - I was there to help him develop his magic, to make him stronger than the rest. Mother say something in him too, even Thor… But you never even had the decency to make an effort to get to know him!"

Valdis' face was flushed, and strands from her golden hair were coming undone from her braid.

"Hold your tongue child." Odin warned.

"I am not a child. You do not have the right to call yourself a father." She stepped closer. "To think the King of Asgard, the King of the Gods threatened by his own children."

He lashed out with an open hand, striking her across the face.

The Warriors Three and Lady Sif jumped slightly as Odin raised his voice. They could feel the reverb through the door.

"How do you think Valdis is holding up?" Fandral asked.

"I'm sure she's fine." Sif said.

"No one is ever 'fine' after facing the rage of the All-father." Volstagg commented.

"Shut up, you. What do you know of the strength of women?"

"Both of you shut up!" Fandral hissed and motioned for them to be silent once more.

Loki paced nervously about the throne room floor.

"You'll wear a hole in the floor, brother." Thor rumbled.

"I am not your brother."

"You are my brother. We were raised together. Blood matters very little, you know."

"No, I don't know Thor. Perhaps you'd like to enlighten me." He paused. "I am a Jotunn, a monster that parents tell their children about at night."

"You are no monster, Loki." Frigga placed a gentle hand on his arm reassuringly. "We are who we choose to be."

A crash sounded through the palace and Loki frowned. "Valdis must have finally lost her temper." He grinned to himself and laughed softly.

"What was that?" Thor asked.

"That, would be our sister finally losing her patience with Odin." Loki replied with a smirk. They could hear footsteps clicking down the corridor.

"That man is the most insufferable, ignorant, pompous…" she paused for breath.

"Would you like a thesaurus? You seem to be running out of words." Loki teased.

"Do not, get me started again. I am in no mood for anyone's games."

"What did father say?" Thor asked.

She took a breath, knowing this would be difficult for everyone to hear. "He said Loki was not his son, and if we know what is good for us, we would mind our place."

"And what did you say in return?" Frigga asked.

"I told him Loki was my brother, same as Thor is, and that nothing could change that. I also said that he had no right to call himself a father, and now how humiliating it was that he feared his own children." She paused. "Then he slapped me."

"What!" Loki shouted, and for the first time noticed the red hand print that had yet to fade. "Did you mean that? About me being your brother?"

"Of course Loki, blood does not define everything." She stepped closer and pulled him into an embrace. "You will always be my little brother."

"Your father should not have struck you." Frigga commented as she inspected Valdis' cheek.

"He is not my father, not until he accepts Loki as his own." She jerked away as magic sparked at the tips of her fingers. "I wounded him far more than he wounded me."

"I'm sure father regrets his actions." Thor said.

"He is not my father!"

Thor's face hardened. Outside the sky darkened, and a crash of thunder shook through the hall. "Have care how you speak, sister."

Before Valdis could reply, Frigga stepped between them. "Enough, the both of you!" she shouted.

Valdis pressed her lips into a thin line, but remained silent. Heavy footsteps approaching signal the arrival of Odin.

She moved and took Loki by the wrist, pushing him behind her. This effectively put Loki between his sister and the nearest exit.

"If I tell you to run, you run. Am I understood?"

He opened his mouth to protest. "Am I understood?" she repeated.

Nodding his assent, he pressed closer and took her hand, linking their fingers together. Greeneyes bored into blue, both hardened with determination.

"Be smart, sister." He whispered.

"Always." Odin stormed into the hall then, Gungnir in hand, a cloud of anger surrounding him.

"Valdis!"

"Your Majesty." She replied, purposefully not calling him father.

"Stand aside."

"No." Thor and Frigga looked at each other worriedly. This could get ugly very quickly.

"What?"

"I said, no. If you want Loki, you will have to go through me."

"I will have the Jotunn." She felt Loki flinch at the name, and she squeezed his hand tighter.

"Over. My. Dead. Body." He seemed to falter then. Yes, he could punish his children, but he would not kill them.

"You will answer for this, Valdis." He took a step closer. His daughter held up her hands, magic swirling around her fingers in blue trendils. Gritting his teeth, he fought against the urge to strike her again. "Get out of my sight, the both of you." He hissed.

Valdis wanted to stand up against him, wanted to defy his orders and hold her ground, but before she could act on her impulse, her little brother was pulling her away firmly by the arm.

Once they were out of ear shot, she wrenched herself from his grasp. "Are you insane?" Loki shouted. "Do have a death wish?"

"Not particularly. But you can hardly blame me for defending you."

Loki pushed her away roughly. "I don't need you to defend me. You aren't even my sister. Why would you care?"

"I am your sister. I always have been!" Valdis made sure not to show how much his words hurt her. "I am not going to let this change anything between us."

Loki let out a dry, humorless laugh that verged on hysteria. "So stubborn. Just like your brother. You can't even see that it's beyond your control. It's what you've been raised to do."

Valdis raised her voice. "Give me some credit, Loki. Do you really think, that some fairy tale we read as children is going to destroy our bond?"

Loki was silent. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but turned away from her instead.

"Is that truly what you think, Loki?" That some stupid, childish fairy tale would matter more to me then the life we have spent together?" She turned him around. "Do you truly think me so naïve?"

He looked up at her imploring blue eyes and sighed. "No, sister." He leant his head against her chest, the fight slowly leaving his body.

"I will always love you Loki. Never doubt that." She pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

Several sets of footsteps sounded from each end of the hallway. "Prince Loki. Princess Valdis you are to come with us." A guard said.

"For what purpose?"

"The King wishes you held in your quarters, until your punishment is decided."

"You cannot jail us!" Loki shouted., still clinging to his sister. His green eyes sparked with fury and defiance.

"We cannot defy our orders, your Highness. We are sorry." The captain said.

Valdis leaned down and whispered something in Loki's ear. He nodded and tightened his arms around her waist. Her lips moved as she whispered the incantation, and before the guards could react they had disappeared in a flash of blue light.

Valdis stumbled as her surroundings suddenly changed, but Loki's tight grip held her up. "The bags Loki. Now!" The younger rushed into Sleipnir's stall and dug the leather satchels from their hiding place. Sleipnir nickered, wishing to gain his mother's attention.

"Hush, young one." Loki soothed and stroked the velvet soft muzzle. He started when Valdis settled a saddle on his back and tightened the straps.

"Mount up." Slinging his bag over his torso, Loki swung up into the saddle as Valdis fitted the bridle. Then, mounting her own roan colored stallion, proceeded to exit the stables.

"Halt, in the name of the King!" a voice shouted.

"Go, Loki!" she shouted and smacked Sleipnir into a gallop that sent them flying into the forest. She could hear the twang of bows releasing arrows, Valdis winced as an arrow pierced her thigh, but didn't cry out. They were almost safe in the confines of the woods, when another arrow lodged itself in her ribs. She screamed at the sudden burning pain as the charged into the welcoming darkness.

They paused for breath under the branches of an old oak. Typically, no one entered the forest unless it was for a scheduled hunting trip. The light being so little and the trees so dense. The two of them listened carefully for the sound of hoof beats, heaving sighs of relief when there were none.

Valdis sagged over the neck of her mount, her wounds bleeding steadily, and her breath coming in pained gasps. Loki circled and came up next to her.

"Sister?" his was small, soft and full of concern. She looked at him with sad eyes.

"I am so sorry, little brother."

"You need attention, sister. You're losing too much blood."

Valdis reached over and took his hand. "Don't worry about me little one." Urging her horse forward, Loki followed just behind, eyes attentive to his sister's condition.

After several minutes the reached the opening to what they called the Hidden Valley. Loki having seen the name in a Midgardian text he had been reading. The entrance was just wide enough for two horses to enter abreast.

The valley was peaceful at this time of day – the sun was just beginning to disappear behind the mountains. It had been an accident that they had found this place, but it soon came to feel like a home away form home.

"Valdis?" Loki questioned, drawing her away from her thoughts. He inclined his head for her to follow him as they proceeded down the path and across the bridge spanning the river.

By the time they reached to small villa, valdis was nearly unconscious. Loki eased her off her horse so that she would not fall off, and half carried her past the threshold.

The villa was arm and inviting. The floors and doors made of solid oak. The floor plan was open, each room smoothly transitioning to the next. Gossamer curtains fluttered in the windows and cut glass panes glinted in the fading sunlight.

Valdis stumbled as they made their way through the door, wincing as her leg and ribs were jostled painfully. The journey up the staircase was difficult, but they reached their bedroom at last. It was a large, bright space in contrast to the darkened chambers of the palace - the ceilings were high and vaulted, and sunlight filtered through the windows. They reached the bedroom and promptly collapsed on the bed, heaving sighs of relief. They were safe.

…

The sun was beginning to set on Asgard. Frigga knew that the forest would be dark by soon, and once night fell there would be nothing more to do. She paced around the hall frantically, tracing her steps over and over again. The guards were wary, her handmaidens afraid - no one knew how to react to the queen when her calm demeanor unraveled. However, it didn't anger Frigga as it usually did, just made her tired. Tired of keeping a steady façade, tired of being the person looked up to in troubling times. She saw her son now in one of the side rooms, speaking with the Warriors 3 – damage control. Frigga wondered if her son would be relegated to her same position, always keeping the peace and never showing his own grief.


End file.
